Unfair
by Ptolomeia
Summary: After Sam dies, Tucker has to talk Danny off an edge


"Danny," Tucker said, keeping his voice level as he watched his friend's ghost form float just about the roof. "Don't do this."

"Why not!" Danny's eyes were wild, though his body was surprisingly still, considering what he was planning. "Don't you get it? I just haven't done anything that has pissed her off enough to come back." Tucker sighed, his own hope long washed away.

"We both know if she was coming, she would have done it by now." Danny shook his head, refusing to believe she was really gone.

"No, I've just been playing games till now. She knew I wouldn't actually hurt anyone, but this time it's different." Danny's eyes were harder than Tucker had ever seen them before.

"And if she doesn't show up? What then?" He prayed he wasn't too late.

"He dies," was Danny's flat response. No need to specify who 'he' was. "He deserves it."

Maybe it was just hopeful ears, but Tucker thought Danny sounded just the slightest bit defensive.

"And what then, huh, Danny?" His friend stayed silent and Tucker forged on, needing to talk him down from the edge. "What are you going to do next to try to get her to come back? Threaten a kid? Torture an animal? Torch the zoo, or the library or the whole freaking town? How far are you going to go?" Danny flinched a little and Tucker kept pressing, not willing to lose both his best friends. "When you become Vlad? Will you believe she's gone then?" Danny's hands glowed at the name. Tucker knew he should be treading carefully. Danny wasn't thinking straight, he could blast Tucker off the roof. When people were hurting, they lashed out, but damn it he was hurting too. "Cause that's where you headed if you kill someone."

"He deserves it!" Danny howled into the night. Tucker was glad he'd had enough forethought to shut down all the Fenton's alarms on his way up. If Danny's parents showed up, Tucker was fairly sure he'd lose his last chance.

"No, he doesn't!" Tucker shouted, cutting Danny's howl off.

" _What?_ " Danny hissed, looking at his friend. For one of the very few times in his life, Tucker was genuinely afraid of his friend. "How can you say that?" The ghost's voice was rising. " _HE KILLED SAM!_ "

"AND KILLING HIM WON'T BRING HER BACK!" Danny flinched. Tucker was getting through to his best friend. He had to be.

"You don't know that!" Danny's voice was filled with desperation.

"Yes, Danny, I do. Sam would never have left us like this, she'd never want to see us hurting this much. If she was a ghost, she'd have come to us by now."

"It's not fair! Why should she be dead and him alive?"

"Of course it's not fair!" Tucker started slowly moving towards his friend, who was in even more pain that himself. Tucker didn't really think that that was possible, but then again, he knew he hadn't been in love with their best friend. "It's unfair that she's dead! It's unfair that some driver not paying attention and running a red light means she's dead and he's completely unhurt! It's unfair she didn't turn into a ghost! It's unfair that there are ghosts like Skulker or Ember or even the damn Box Ghost and Sam is just _gone_ ," he felt a sob on the edge of that word, but kept going anyway "but _killing him isn't going to make it any fairer._ It won't bring Sam back." He finally reached his oldest friend and wrapped him in a hug. It was kind of awkward, neither of them was used to hugging the other, but they both needed it. Besides, this time Sam wasn't around to snap a picture. Tucker felt the tears that had been far too present in his life in the last couple weeks trickle down his cheeks yet again. "Sam wouldn't want this, Danny. She's gone, and it's ridiculous and unfair and awful but it _is_. And she never would have wanted this. Don't do this, don't lose the only part of her we have left. Don't."

Danny threw his head back and let out a ghostly wail. Tucker clutched his oldest friend closer until the wail was choked off by sobs, and the rings of light that meant a change of state enveloped them. Danny's human form gripped Tucker and sobbed into his shoulder. Tucker held on as his friend cried out his murderous impulses, all the pain and all anger, and some of the bone deep grief. He wished Sam was here. She'd know what to say.

"I miss her too, Dude," Tucker said, his tears still streaming down his face as he looked up at the night sky Sam had loved so much. "I miss her too."


End file.
